Electroporation is a method for damaging tumors in such a way that their growth is retarded or they are destroyed. To this end, electrodes are introduced into a patient's tissue via which high electrical voltages in a range of more than 1000 V are applied over a short period, preferably in a range of microseconds to a maximum of a few milliseconds. Electroporation causes an increase in the permeability of the cell membrane through which substances are subsequently able to enter or exit the cell. This effect is used, for example, in cancer therapy in conjunction with the administration of chemotherapy agents in order to introduce the chemotherapy agent selectively into the cells, in particular into tumor cells. The application of stronger electric fields causes defects to form in the cells; these defects are irreversible and ultimately result in the death of the cell since the cell loses its self-regulatory mechanisms—this effect is, therefore, primarily used for the treatment of tumors.
For electroporation treatment, at least two treatment electrodes are introduced into a body to be treated, wherein the treatment electrodes come into contact with a region of the body to be treated, such as, for example, a tumor. The treatment electrodes are generally used to generate bipolar electroporation pulses, which in particular have a voltage in the range of a few KV and are applied with a time interval of approximately one second about 10 times, see in this context “Irreversible Electroporation: A New Ablation Modality—Clinical Implications” by Boris Rubinsky, Technology in Cancer Research and Treatment, Vol. 6, 2007, pages 37-48.
Known for monitoring and/or verification of irreversible electroporation treatment is an ultrasound measuring appliance for determining and/or monitoring the positioning of the treatment electrodes. However, this type of monitoring only determines an effect of electroporation weakly and with a delay. In addition, the monitoring requires activity on the part of the patient to be treated.